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For decades, the mass grave at the Haven of Rest Cemetery was left unmarked. It wasn't until 2018 that a plaque that contained a list of the 21 boys' names who died was placed on the gravesite, thanks to the efforts of family members, donations, and a grant from the Curtis Sykes Memorial Fund, as reported by the Arkansas Times. History professor Dr. Brian Mitchell stated, "If you look honestly at the situation the conclusion we come to is that these boys died of racism, the same racism we live with today."

Today, the site where NBIS once stood in Wrightsville is the location of the Arkansas Department of Correction. In 2019, a dedication ceremony was held to honor the memory of the 21 boys who died in the fire, and a marker was erected. Maedean Horner, whose brother, Willie Horner, died in the fire, said, "This is kind of like a closure to a funeral that should have happened 60 years ago" (via Arkansas Democrat Gazette).

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